Catskills Nomad

[Danneaux]

Oh, what a nice photo, Jim.  Looks as if you caught a bit of snow down by the tires, amidst the sunshine.  We're in the midst of another "pineapple express" weather system, bringing unusually high temps, heavy rains, high winds, and massive flooding to the PacNW.  I hope your "middlin'" weather continues, though I'm guessing a record high of 70F might just appeal right about now!

That's a beautiful rock face.  Do you see the "ghost cyclist" atop the ledge above your handlebar bag?  I know they're just shadow patterns, but if you squint and tilt your head just right...

Best,

Dan.

[JimK]

I've been hearing about the weather in the Pacific Northwest - sounds like you are really getting slammed. Then there were big storms in the South, too. Yeah it has been a mild winter here so far. It was below zero one night and a few more with single digits but that after all it's winter!

Thanks for spotting that phantom rider! Very much a Catskills sort of presence!

[scotian]

Hi Jim,

Like the photo and the weather, we have had a mild but windy spell lately.
No need yet for spikes.

Cheers

Ian

[JimK]

Maybe I can make my bike a bit less attractive to thieves... I covered over most of the "Thorn" "Nomad" markings with SOLAS reflective tape. Plus a Kalachakra Yantra decal! I also put inner tube fragments over the S&S couplers. Plus the Buddy Flaps... I can't call the total effect aesthetic or even stylish... maybe now it's fair to say the bike has distinct character?

Today was my first ride on my new 26x2 Duremes. Very nice to get off those studded tires! The Duremes are great on the road. A few times I tried riding in some soft gravel off the road's shoulder & the Duremes did seem to give some grip and less slosh than the Supremes. It'd be interesting to do a well controlled comparison, but I can't see that project working up too high on my list!

[Danneaux]

Well, Jim, I think your bike looks great because it's stylized for you! I also think it looks nice anyway.  

I often look in wonder at how individualized our bicycles are. They start out (by model) as identical frames from the factory, go through the first customizing at build-time, then further adjustments are made during ownership. That makes them each unique in the full meaning of the term! I love them all, and it is a real joy seeing "how others do it". I always learn something, and like much of what I see.

As for the sticker...I think it's great! Isn't the Kalachakra sometimes referred to as the wheel of time? In any case, may it and Nomad facilitate happy (re)visits to places past, present, and future. I thought long and hard before affixing my club "ADV" sticker to my rear mudflap, then tied myself in knots worrying it was "too much". Now I'm used to it, I like it, and the only person I have to please is myself. I think the Kalachakra Yantra sticker adds a bit more "you" to your bike and is just fine. The reflective tape on the downtube will prevent any paint-scuffing caused by the front wheel's parking strap. It never hurts to be more visible at night.

I think your bike looks great overall, and the BuddyFlaps will reflect nicely in low-light and add safety as they reduce spray. Following cyclists will love you for them! I think you'll be amazed at how much the front flap reduces drivetrain maintenance.  Most of the direct water spray and thrown road debris will hit the flap instead, and I think you'll find yourself cleaning and oiling the chain less often. I know you were concerned about their placement, but they look very nice in the photo. Good job! To my eye, WRC rally cars and Adventure Touring Bicycles both look best dressed in generous mudflaps.

<nods> Yes, theft-deterrence is well worth keeping in mind. My own Sherpa is not well-regarded by local cyclists 'cos it doesn't look special to the casual rider or the lightweight racer, who find it unappealing. If that lowers the theft potential, I'm happy!

I've found the Duremes to be a great all-'rounder tire. As Andy Blance mentions in the Thorn brochures, they don't really excel at any one task, but do well at many as one would expect of a "jack of all trades". It sounds like your experience with them is similar to mine.

Another great photo of the Catskills Nomad, as always!

Best,

Dan.

[JimK]

Isn't the Kalachakra sometimes referred to as the wheel of time?

Yes. It's a vast cosmo-psychological system. I think it's the source for the Tibetan calendar, or for much of it anyway.

Probably my ultimate fantasy is to ride my bike from monastery to monastery, studying with great teachers. I love those Zen stories of wandering monks!

I think you'll be amazed at how much the front flap reduces drivetrain maintenance.

That is surely a major objective for me.

My own Sherpa is not well-regarded by local cyclists 'cos it doesn't look special to the casual rider or the lightweight racer

That is the first line of defense. Wherever I might be passing through, that will likely be enough. But e.g. where I live, if folks see my bike again and again, somebody might get a little curious and go looking things up on the web. So easy to do nowadays, everyone having a smart phone! So I am just making it that much harder to investigate.

[JimK]

Here is the Zen Mountain Monastery (http://www.mro.org/zmm/) in Mount Tremper, about ten miles west of Woodstock.

In the 1980s I did several week-long meditation retreats here. Every day we'd have a work period. I remember chopping a lot of wood! But one day four or five of us got sent out in a pick-up truck, to fetch a stone lantern that somebody was donating. You can see it in the photo. It comes apart in three or four pieces. Just the pieces are awesomely heavy!

[Danneaux]

Just the pieces are awesomely heavy!

Yeheh, I'll say! Jim, each of those pieces must weigh a good 40kg...oh what am I saying?...those stone sections could easily weigh 80kg. Put together, a lot! A beautiful thing, though.

Lovely shot, and such a contrast to the icy-rain-on-snow we're having at the moment, following high winds yesterday. Was just out scraping ice off the car windshield. Tried the bike tires, and wished I had your studded take-offs!

My! What a beautiful retreat. I just looks the place for meditative reflection.

I remember chopping a lot of wood!

<nods> Yes, physical work seems to facilitate insight as much as quietude. I think this is one reason why I get such deep insights while wilderness-touring. The combination of heavy work and low-stimulus periods does wonders for reaching places that are untouched in the day-to-day.  Nice photo!

Best,

Dan.

[JimK]

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/80768545

I got the teenager out today - it's spring break week and the first day he hasn't had track practice. We went about 11 miles to a restaurant - he had a hamburger, I had pizza - and we still got back up over the hill to home despite the loaded stomachs!

[Danneaux]

Oh, Jim, what a great ride, and a chance to do it together on a sunny day, too!
Eleven miles isn't bad for an initial foray, especially with hills. Wasn't it Lao Tzu who wrote, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step"?

If the hamburger/pizza-run went over well as a motivator for the young man, it might be possible to adopt variations on the theme -- a little further for an ice cream, a bit further yet for Chinese food, and so forth. Whatever works as initial motivation is great; once he gets used to riding and finds it enjoyable...it'll become the self-contained reward.

One of the real joys of riding with someone -- especially someone you're mentoring -- is the shared experience. You're making memories.

The Jamis seems to fit him well, and he looks good on it. You're looking spiffy as usual on your Nomad. I like the bright vest and shirt; very visible against the foliage.

So glad the weather was cooperating. How soon till your "big ride" together? Nice photos, Jim.

Best,

Dan.

[JimK]

Our teenager likes riding - the big challenge is just finding time. Last semester of senior year in high school with Advanced Placement classes etc. He has track practice every day after school - he just took up pole vaulting! - and Aikido classes Saturday and Sunday! Plus weight lifting at every crazy hour down in the basement. He's in great physical condition, but still he needs to get some hours in on the bike if he isn't going to be hurting - fifty miles a day for eight days is not huge but it is not trivial either.

I gotta say, it looks a lot huger for me! I'll have ridden maybe 75 miles this week - my plan is to increase mileage 9% each week through June. The ride starts July 8. Ah, and it is almost all flat! So really it should be easy enough!

I ordered some fenders for the Jamis. The front dropouts have a threaded hole above the axle rather than behind the axle. I expect the operation will involve some cursing, trips to the hardware store, etc. I am thinking that I can just use a stack of washers to move the fender stay laterally enough to clear the fork. I figure this bike should work well on campus, after our Erie Canal ride. I've got an Abus Amparo frame lock on the way too!

Yeah, Chinese food, that sounds good!

[Danneaux]

That is a busy young man, Jim; I can now see the challenge to get in enough riding time amidst all the other activities.

July 8th is some time away, and I believe your training scheme will work well for you.

As for the fender fitment, may I suggest old presta valve nuts as spacers? They are almost perfect for the job, and stack very nicely.

Please let us know how the Abus Amparo lock works out, and please take some photos of the mounting process. After you get it, I may ask for some direct measurements, as I am considering mounting one on Sherpa's chainstays. The seatstay-mounted pump precludes putting a frame-mounted ring-lock there. The chainstay location gets it out of the way, yet it is still inside the frame, unlike mounting it on the v-brake bosses, where rack clearance is also tight. It has the added advantage of putting its weight lower on the frame.

All the best,

Dan.

[Pavel]

I got it!  Reading this thread and meditating upon the issues, I've come up with a solution.  Racing stripes for and a Campi sticker for Dan and a Walmart label on the bike for Jim!

[JimK]

a Walmart label on the bike for Jim!

Now that is an interesting idea. Repaint the bike and add lettering like "MAGNA" or "Free Spirit". Thief repellent!

[Danneaux]

Racing stripes...and a Campi sticker for Dan

B-bu-but Pavel! Jim's will be safe 'cos the thieves will all go for mine! 

Yikes!

"Riding faster, at least, thanks to the racing stripes and Campi sticker..." Dan.